Quesadilla

A huitlacoche quesadilla.

A quesadilla (Spanish pronunciation: [kesaˈðiʎa]) is a flour or corn tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape. It is a dish that originated in Mexico. The word quesadilla derives from the Spanish word queso, meaning cheese.

History

A specific origin for the quesadilla is unknown. There are many ideas about where the quesadilla originated. The quesadilla is a food that changed and evolved over many years as people experimented with different variations of it. It is believed that it started in Mexico. The reasoning behind this is because of the ingredients. The tortilla is a mesoamerican food. Queso, which means cheese, has been apart of the Mexican language ever since the Spaniards introduced it to them.

Preparation

A quesadilla is usually made with a corn tortilla and is filled primarily with cheese and other ingredients such as cooked meat, refried beans, and vegetables. The filled tortilla is then toasted under a boiler or fried, usually until the cheese is melted. Once the quesadilla is cooked, it is traditionally cut into slices, or wedges.

Most quesadillas are prepared just folding and filling a common corn tortilla, but there are also other variations in which the tortilla is specially made for filling. In northern regions of Mexico, along the United States border, quesadillas are also prepared with flour tortillas instead. Another variation is even deep fried. It's preparation resembles more of a pasty than a tortilla, but it is not known as a quesadilla, but as an "enchiladas potosinas", from the San Luis Potosí region. They include light hot salsa, hence the name enchilada, because it has been submerged into salsa.

Types

Mexican quesadilla

In most regions of Mexico, a quesadilla is a flat circle of cooked corn masa, called a "tortilla", warmed to soften it enough to be folded in half and filled. They are typically filled with oaxaca cheese (or queso oaxaca). Oaxaca cheese is a stringy cheese that comes from Mexico. The quesadilla is then cooked on a comal until the cheese has completely melted. They are usually cooked without the addition of any oil at all. Often the quesadillas are served with green or red salsa, chopped onion, guacamole, and sour cream. While Oaxacan or string cheese is the most common filling, other ingredients are also used in addition to cheese in traditional Mexican quesadillas. These can include cooked vegetables, such as potatoes with chorizo, pumpkin flowers, mushrooms, epazote, huitlacoche, and different types of cooked meat such as chicharron, tinga made of chicken or beef, or cooked pork. In some places quesadillas are also topped with other ingredients, additional to the fillings they already have: avocado or guacamole, chopped onion, tomato, serrano chiles and parsley are the most common. Salsas may also be added as a topping.

Mexican quesadillas are by traditionally cooked on a comal, which is also used to prepare tortillas. As a variation, the quesadillas can be fried in oil to make "quesadillas fritas". The main difference is while the traditional ones are prepared just filling the partially cooked tortillas, then continue cooking until the cheese melts, the fried ones are prepared like a pasty, preparing the uncooked masa in small circles, then topping with the filling and finally folding the quesadilla to form the pastry. It is then immersed into hot oil until the exterior looks golden and crispy.

Other variations include the use of wheat flour tortillas instead, especially in the northeast part of Mexico. Wheat dough is most commonly used in place of corn masa. In this case, the flour tortilla is prepared, folded and filled with cheese, exactly as the corn.

Sometimes cheese and ham are sandwiched between two flour tortillas, then cut into wedges to serve commonly known as "sincronizada" (Spanish for "synchronized") in Mexico. Note however, despite the fact that it looks almost the same as a quesadilla, it is considered a completely different dish. The sincronizada is frequently confused with quesadillas by tourists, because it is typically called a quesadilla in most Mexican restaurants outside of México.

American quesadilla

The Mexican quesadilla has been adopted in many regions of the United States. It is prepared in a similar manner except for the inclusion of local ingredients. A corn tortilla is heated on a griddle, then flipped and sprinkled with grated melting cheese (queso-quesadilla) such as Monterey Jack. Once the cheese melts, other ingredients such as shredded meat or guacamole may be added, and it is then folded and served.

Cheese and other ingredients are sandwiched between two flour tortillas, and the whole package is grilled on an oiled griddle and flipped so both sides are cooked and the cheese is melted. This version is often cut into wedges to serve. A home appliance "quesadilla maker" is sold to produce this kind of quesadilla, although it does not use oil and cooks both sides at once. This type is similar to the Mexican "sincronizada", but in the United States, sincronizadas can also have roast beef or other ingredients instead of ham.

A variety called the "special quesadilla" is a quesadilla deep-fried in oil to a golden puff in the Imperial Valley of southern California. These are small quesadillas which are lightly spiced and lightly warmed by deep frying them for a short time before being eaten.

Variations

Quesadillas have been adapted to many different styles. In America, many restaurants serve them as appetizers, after adding their own twist to them. Some interesting recipes are goat cheese, black beans, spinach, zucchini, tofu, and many other different ingredients. Some variations are even dessert quesadillas. These are made with ingredients like chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, and different varieties of fruit.

See also

• Sincronizada

Further reading

1. Gay, Kathlyn. Encyclopedia of North American Eating & Drinking Traditions, Customs, and Rituals. Santa Barbara, Ca: ABC-CLIO, 1996.
2. Kiple, Kenneth F., and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas. The Cambridge World History of Food . 2 vols. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
3. Civitello, Linda. Cuisine and Culture: a history of food and people. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004.
4. Montanari, Massimo. The Culture of Food. Oxford, UK: 1994.
5. Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion Third edition, pg. 501
6. Shulman, Martha Rose. "Spinach and Goat Cheese Quesadilla." New York Times. (2011): 1.
7. Shulman, Martha Rose. "Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadilla." New York Times. (2011): 1.
8. Zaslavsky, Nancy. "30 Minutes." Vegetatrian Times. 338 (2006): 37-40.
9. Elkady, Doaa. "Quesadillas." Scholastic Choices. 23.5 (2008): 23.
10. Feeney, Kelly. "Sand, Surf, and Quesadillas." New York Times. (2010): 8.
11. http://www.mahalo.com/quesadilla/
12. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html
13. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quesadilla
14. http://sites.google.com/site/cookingschoolsite/foods/histories-on-foods/history-of-quesadillas
15. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2257,157180-227203,00.html